May 22, 2017
Dear Colleague:
NSF has identified improvement of graduate student preparedness for the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) workforce as one of its priorities. As part of this effort, a supplemental funding opportunity is available in fiscal year (FY) 2018 and FY 2019 to provide support for non-academic research internships for graduate students to support career opportunities in any sector of the U.S. economy. NSF currently invests in a number of graduate student preparedness activities and has historically encouraged principal investigators (PIs) to include such activities in research proposals to NSF. This Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) describes new commitments and funding opportunities at NSF to ensure graduate students are prepared for the 21st-century STEM workforce.